San Diego Gulls
AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks since 2015.
The San Diego Gulls are a professional ice hockey team based in San Diego. They play in the American Hockey League (AHL) and hold home games at Pechanga Arena. The team started playing in the 2015–16 season and is linked to the NHL’s Anaheim Ducks. In late January 2015, the Anaheim Ducks announced they would buy the Norfolk Admirals from the AHL and shift the team to San Diego. The move made the Gulls one of five founding members of the AHL’s new Pacific Division. Pechanga Arena has hosted six professional hockey teams before the current one: the original San Diego Gulls (WHL, 1966–74), the San Diego Mariners (WHA, 1974–77), the San Diego Hawks (Pacific Hockey League, 1977–79), a second San Diego Gulls (IHL, 1990–95), and a third San Diego Gulls (WCHL, 1995–2003, and ECHL, 2003–06). The current team is the fifth hockey team in San Diego to use the "Gulls" name. The Gulls’ name, logo, and colors were unveiled on February 22, 2015, at an event called HockeyFest, which drew more than 8,500 fans. Their first home game took place on October 10, 2015, against the Grand Rapids Griffins. In their debut season, the team averaged 8,675 fans per game, the second-highest attendance in the league behind the Hershey Bears. After four seasons and three playoff appearances, the Anaheim Ducks promoted Gulls head coach Dallas Eakins to the same role with the Ducks. Former Florida Panthers head coach Kevin Dineen was then hired to replace him. For the delayed 2020–21 season, shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gulls temporarily relocated to the Ducks’ practice rink, Great Park Ice & FivePoint Arena in Irvine, California. That season, they finished third in the Pacific Division and lost in the division semifinals to the second-place Bakersfield Condors. After two seasons, the Ducks did not extend Dineen’s contract, instead hiring former Laval Rocket head coach Joel Bouchard. Following a poor season under Bouchard, the Gulls brought in longtime AHL head coach Roy Sommer as their fourth head coach. In Sommer’s only season, the team finished with the fewest points in the entire AHL, and he retired afterward. Matt McIlvane was hired as head coach for the 2023–24 season, chosen specifically for his experience working with younger players. The Gulls consider the Ontario Reign, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings, their main rival.
Quick Facts
- Text Color
- #231f20
- Team
- San Diego Gulls
- City
- San Diego, California
- League
- American Hockey League
- Conference
- Western
- Division
- Pacific
- Founded
- 2000
- Arena
- Pechanga Arena
- Owner
- Henry Samueli & Susan Samueli
- Gm
- Rick Paterson
- Coach
- Dave Manson
- Captain
- Ryan Carpenter
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The San Diego Gulls were established on January 29, 2015, when the Anaheim Ducks purchased the Norfolk Admirals and moved the team to San Diego as one of five charter members of the AHL's new Pacific Division. The team's name, logo, and colors were revealed on February 22, 2015, at HockeyFest, which drew over 8,500 fans. The current team is the fifth hockey team in San Diego to use the "Gulls" name. The Gulls have had several head coaches. After four seasons and three playoff appearances, head coach Dallas Eakins was promoted to the Anaheim Ducks. Kevin Dineen was hired next, but after two seasons was not extended. Joel Bouchard followed, then Roy Sommer, who coached the team to the fewest points in the AHL in his only season.
Reader's Guide
The San Diego Gulls are significant as the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks, continuing a long tradition of professional hockey in San Diego. The team's arrival in 2015 helped establish the AHL's Pacific Division, expanding the league's footprint on the West Coast. The Gulls quickly built a strong fanbase, drawing an average attendance of 8,675 in their inaugural season, second only to the Hershey Bears. The team's rivalries, particularly with the Ontario Reign and Bakersfield Condors, are fueled by the NHL affiliations of their parent clubs—the Los Angeles Kings and Edmonton Oilers, respectively—and by the history of the Freeway Faceoff between Anaheim and Los Angeles. The Gulls have experienced notable playoff moments, including a quadruple-overtime victory over Bakersfield in 2019 and multiple postseason series against Ontario. The team's coaching turnover reflects the challenges of developing players for the NHL, with several coaches moving on to or from the parent Ducks organization.
Did You Know?
- The Gulls' first home game was on October 10, 2015, against the Grand Rapids Griffins.
- The team temporarily played the 2020–21 season at the Ducks' practice rink in Irvine, California due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Gulls defeated the Bakersfield Condors 3–2 in quadruple overtime on May 3, 2019, in the Pacific Division Finals.
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